Go Away
by victoria-kat
Summary: The war was over. He had survived and had left everything behind him. He didn't need anyone to remind him what he had done. Especially not her. Dramione.
1. Chapter 1

~ Go away ~

The war was over. He had survived and had left everything behind him. He didn't need anyone to remind him what he had done. Especially not her.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.

A/N: First HP and Dramione story, so I _really_ need your feedback desperately. Read, enjoy and review please!

.

Thick black fumes started blowing out of his cauldron and Draco Malfoy swore just a few seconds before his copper cauldron exploded in his face. With a quick flick of his wand he had cleaned the mess and with another swish he had effectively repaired the cauldron, but the ingredients were wasted and his low stock indicated that he would have to visit the Apothecary in Diagon Alley soon.

 _Joy_.

He hated going there after everything; after the war. Due to his now infamous last name, every single wizard and witch was looking down on him as if he was the scum of the earth. Not that he didn't deserve the treatment, he did; he just wished people would leave him on his own and would just let him be.

It had already been four _fucking_ miserable years since the Battle of Hogwarts and the Malfoy family still was the scapegoat of the outcome of the war. His Mother had safely moved to one of their estates in Paris in order to avoid the wrath of the wizarding community and his father was locked away in a cell in order to serve his 20-year sentence in Azkaban, but still people found it necessary that the Malfoys had to pay more for their involvement in Voldemort's circle. It was a wonder really that Draco had been spared of imprisonment and he had to thank Harry _effing_ Potter and his bookworm friend for this.

Not that he ever did. He had never thanked them in person or even spoken to them after his trial; a small bow of the head had been the only acknowledgement he had offered and even that had cost more to his pride that he cared to admit.

After Voldemort had fallen, he had felt relief and had been eager to start over with his life as every teenager in his age did, because he _had_ been a _fucking_ teen back then after all, although people tended to overlook this detail as it suited them. Little did he know then that he would be forced to grow up at once and grow out of the wizarding world if he wanted to avoid contempt and finally lead a normal life.

That's how he had ended up in Muggle London, running his own store and minding his own business in general. His current state was far from satisfactory, but until he was free to leave London and start afresh somewhere new - somewhere not a soul knew who he was or what he had done – it would have to do. "Herbs and Maladies", his otherwise muggle store – apart from the fact that a large portion of his products was magical potions - was flourishing and in that aspect he had finally succeeded. People rushed to buy whatever he introduced to his customers and came back again and again buying more and sharing the news in the most effective possible way; mouth-to-mouth marketing. In the next decade, he could be a muggle millionaire if he wanted, but his path was already set up and in just over than 2 years his business would be closed and he would at last leave London behind.

With the thought of finally leaving away in his mind, Draco set to visit Diagon Alley and purchase the supplies he would need for the new order of a bunch of beautification potion for his shop. This potion in particular was number one in sales lately and he had to replenish it at least once a week. Upon entering the Leaky Cauldron he kept his head high and the familiar sneer on his lips firm, silently willing anyone to dare and talk to him. He had learned eventually that this pose worked better than trying to keep a low profile around.

After he had successfully visited Gringotts, in order to exchange muggle money to galleons, and on his way to the apothecary, he mentally prepared the list of ingredients he would need to buy, trying to remember if he needed anything else from another store. He was so focused in his task wishing to save himself from another visit here soon, that he didn't notice the woman before he bumped hard on her back as he entered the Apothecary. He lifted his angry stare at her and swallowed hard immediately.

It _had_ to be her. _Of course_.

He would recognize her curly chestnut locks anywhere. Out of all the witches visiting Diagon Alley, and all the other ones elsewhere which currently wished him death, it just had to be the one who had helped save him, didn't it?

Stabilizing himself, he watched her making the expectable moves; steadying herself and turning around to see who the idiot - or creeper - was. Her mouth formed a perfect circle as her cinnamon eyes assessed his figure from his black polished shoes all the way up to his infamous white-blond hair.

"Malfoy?"

 _Let's get this over with._

"Granger." he greeted stoically, willing her with all his might to stop staring at him and just _go the fuck away_.

"What are you doing here?" she questioned incredulously.

"I assume what everyone else does in the apothecary." when she didn't seem to understand his sarcasm he added "Stocking on supplies."

"But why would you? I mean I've heard you don't live… I mean I've heard about you and-

"Well, if you've heard about me that saves us from exchanging pleasantries which we both won't mean. Let's get back in our line and finish whatever it is that each of us is doing here, alright?"

He saw her eyes narrowing in his obvious and rude dismissal and for a moment he thought he would find her fist on his nose again. But thankfully that didn't happen. She turned back to her line and whispered something along the lines of _what a git_ , _nothing has changed_ and blah blah blah.

It suited him fine; he just wished to ignore her and everyone else. If only he didn't desperately need those ginger roots, he would have spun on his heel and apparated back at his flat at once, but alas. Business had to come first and even he recognized that he would eventually need to face some people from the past if the situation should arise. So he patiently waited behind her in line, abstractly assessing her atrocious hair, her small height and her tiny waist until it was his turn on the till.

"I would like a bunch of fairy wings, a bottle of morning dew and two bunches of ginger roots."

"I'm afraid we have run out of ginger roots, Miss Granger just took the last lot, but I will bring you the rest ingredients in a minute."

"Are you getting some more soon? I'd better collect them all at once."

"I'm sorry Sir, no. Ginger roots are very difficult to find in this time of the year and I'm not certain when we are stocking again. Would you like the rest of the order?"

He calculated quickly in his mind. Would Granger share some of the ingredients she just bought with him? Highly unlikely, but the other prospect was to contact Longbottom and he'd really rather didn't. _Damn it._

"Forget it." he said dismissively as he quickly made his way out of the apothecary trying to locate Granger around. She couldn't have gone far and he really needed the ginger roots after blowing up the potion today. Sure enough he spotted her figure in Flourish and Blotts – where else? – and followed her inside, approaching the shelf she was currently browsing.

"Granger." he said and tapped her lightly on the arm.

She had quickly turned back, retrieved her wand from her pocket and pointed it at him in just milliseconds. Wow; constant vigilance, indeed.

When she saw who he was, she instinctively lowered her wand but just a fraction – maybe because it was he after all. "Malfoy!" she said panting. "You gave me such a fright, you git. What do you want?"

He didn't apologize; he rather jumped to the point at once.

"I want to buy the ginger roots you just purchased from the Apothecary."

She gapped at him with round eyes. "You want what? Are you mental?"

"Look I need them and you bought enough, I'll pay twice their price if you just hand them to me without questions. Thrice the price." he added when she didn't reply.

"No. I'm not giving you my supplies, forget it. Why can't you just go and buy it in the shop?"

"Because you took the last of it you twit, that's why!"

"What a nice way to request a favor. I said no and that's final Malfoy, go and bother someone else." she turned her attention to the bookshelf again.

He swore inwardly. "Look Granger, you are supposed to be the sensible one. I need those roots and I'm willing to overpay them; in fact I will order for you the same amount as soon as it is delivered, why do you insist on being difficult?"

"Ha!" Hermione scoffed. "I'm not the one here being difficult Malfoy and I don't particularly care about you needing something" she said scathingly. "As for me being the sensible one, how would you know? Just go away, alright?"

He did just that. It really wasn't worth his time; Granger had always been that stubborn and it wasn't as if he had treated her better just moments prior – let alone thanked her for defending him at court four years ago.

 _Fuck_ _this_ ; he would have someone contact Longbottom on his behalf.

.

The next few days, while he was trying to kindly explain to his customers that beautification would be delivered next week - according to the status of the order he gave to Longbottom via Blaise Zabini - Hermione Granger popped in his thoughts more often than not. He forced himself to believe that this happened because she had refused to facilitate him that day and not because he had found himself intrigued.

Apart from Granger, she was the typical bookworm, know-it-all, Gryffindor's princess, scarhead's best friend and a mudb… muggle-born. He had absolutely no reason to think of her of something else than annoying. Hell… He had absolutely no reason to think of her, _period_.

As if to prove a point, that night he contacted Kate, the girl he was currently seeing, most times because she initiated their encounters rather than him. He effectively managed to push Granger, and all the other damning memories she brought to the surface, out of his mind for the rest of the week.

.

On Monday morning, Draco prepared himself to face that simpering idiot for the ingredients he needed; he really hated nothing more than stupidity and clumsiness and Longbottom scored high on both. Peachy.

Draco tried to decide if he should wear muggle clothes or wizard robes for their meeting, when an owl landed on his open window and dropped a parchment on his feet. He bended over and retrieved the note. Longbottom couldn't make it. _Fuck_.

How was he supposed to deliver the products on time, if the supplier couldn't keep a _fucking_ deadline himself had set?

He continued reading the note further on. The roots could be delivered today if Draco could fetch them from a bookstore in Muggle London until noon. He cursed Longbottom to hell and back and hurried to study his map in order to locate the damn bookstore. He considered apparating right outside of it to save time, but his experience with muggles had taught him that they were rather observant and if the Ministry had to alter the memories of someone for the likes of him, restrictions would be set up in place and the possibility to finally move abroad would jump out of the window. So he got out in the road and got a cab to his destination.

Out of all the people in the world, it had to be _her_ that she ran that particular bookstore in the muggle world. It was just his luck, wasn't it?

"Granger." he voiced and effectively greeted her for a third time in a while.

She looked up from her desk and her features immediately hardened. She didn't look surprised though.

"Neville told me that you would probably be coming today. If you can wait ten minutes, I'll finish something and get the ingredients for you. Please have a seat." she indicated the armchair across her desk.

He nodded and took the seat along with the opportunity to study her while she worked.

"Is this place yours?"

She hesitated before answering and he saw her shoulders tense. "Yes it is."

"How… I mean, why a bookstore in the muggle world? When you could have any job you wanted in the Ministry? An Auror, let's say." Draco asked with real curiosity.

"As if you care Malfoy."

"Try me, Granger."

She studied him for a second and her lips twitched. "It was never my aspiration to become an Auror if you must know."

"A minister employee then, a teacher at Hogwarts?" he offered. "Why here, why that?"

"If you think that you are insulting me by degrading what I've built here, you are very mistaken. I love my store, I like what I do. You of all people questioning me about my occupation is a little hypocritical, isn't it? Considering the fact that you run a muggle store yourself."

"I'm not trying to insult you, far from it."

"Good, because you wouldn't manage it even if you tried."

"Granger, don't get your knickers in a twist ."

Her cheeks turned crimson and her pupils dilated; she was so easy to rile up as she had always been. Being the logical and collected member of the trio though, she kept herself from reacting and turned her attention to the documents at her desk again. He didn't know why he found it necessary to behave badly towards her; he supposed old habits die hard – if at all.

She took her time finishing her task and all, until she disappeared to the back of her shop to get the box he had ordered. A few people had gathered in line before the till and he absently started tapping his fingers on her desk impatiently. When she got back, she tended to her customers with a smile, ignoring him completely until she had served them all. Draco fixed his stare on her and noticed that she started to shift uncomfortably from one foot to another. At last she took the box in her hands again and pushed it towards him.

"That will be 2 galleons and 3 sickles." she said with a flat voice.

"That must be wrong, my order costs 20 galleons."

"Indeed, but that is only part of it. Neville has planted more in his greenhouses but the rest will be ready in around three weeks from now."

" _What_?" he inquired angrily at her. "That is not possible, I was supposed to get the whole amount today, that's why I agreed to get supplies from Longbottom! That useless twat!"

"Don't call him that. Neville had to use some roots in one experiment of his, for a new potion in his business, so your order has to wait."

"And you call that business, Granger?" he spat "If your supplier failed to send you your orders in time, what would you do? Would you be so understanding?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "It's not my business Malfoy, I'm merely delivering, so don't shoot the messenger. It is what it is, take it or leave it."

The look he gave her had her knees trembling wildly and she could have fallen, had she not supported her weight by leaning on her desk. Draco grabbed the box with the ginger roots and tossed 3 galleons at her desk before leaving her store in foul mood.

.

As soon as he finished brewing the beautification potion, he stored it in several small bottles in his potions' cabinet and started cleaning his working place furiously. He was still so mad at Longbottom and Granger that it was really a miracle that he managed to concentrate and brew the potion correctly. But he was a perfectionist in everything that he did, so that he couldn't mess up the potion again and fail to supply his customers. _Again_.

The front door of his shop opened and upon hearing the ring he got himself on the front, only to find out that Miss Goody-Gryffindor-Bookworm had apparently decided to stalk him lately.

He breathed out resigned and he fixed his features in a frown. "What do you want Granger?"

"Um, hello. I came to offer you a bit of help."

He scoffed. "How?"

"I brought you some roots from my private supplies. I understand that you must need them desperately and I thought to take upon the offer you made to me in Diagon Alley the other week. If it's still on." she finished uncertainly. "I fail to see why you would need them for business purposes… except well for beautification potion." She gave a thorough look to the store around her and her left eyebrow arched and raised high in her forehead.

"Well, that's precisely why I need it." he confirmed."But why would you help me Granger?"

"Merlin's beard Malfoy! Is it even legal? Selling potions to muggles for profit? What else are you selling to them?"

"Why don't you check for yourself while you're here?"

She did just that. She browsed all his shelves in the store, examining each product and each label, recognized a camouflaged pepper-up potion or a simple cure for boils or "for acne" as it was labeled. Hopefully she only identified harmless staff and a great variety of his products was muggle based after all. She would have been impressed, if that wasn't Malfoy's doing.

Malfoy ignored her while she was wondering around his shop, or at least he tried to. Her perfume, very light and flowery, had started triggering something in his mind and he was so focused trying to remember what it was that all other thoughts had faded. What did it was exactly and where had he met the aroma before? With the skilled olfaction of an accomplished potioneer, he distinguished it had a scent of grass and probably citrus or green apple with a tad of mint and something he couldn't quite discern. It reminded him of mist and eerie nights of spring, apples, the vanishing cabinet, the Astronomy Tower. Dumbledore.

 _No._

Cold sweat started forming on his forehead and his spine started shivering.

Not again. He turned his back at her and dropped something off his desk in the process. Granger turned to look at him questioningly – was that concern in her eyes? Like the Gryffindor she was, she approached him and made to touch him on the shoulder when he shook her hand violently off.

"Get off." he warned with force trying to control the tremor in his body and lock out the unwanted memories. He was accomplished in Occlumency, he knew how to detach from memories that even he couldn't remember those locked away in his subconscious sometimes, but today, this time, they were stronger. It was her scent he knew it, and now that she was closer it was getting more intense - worse.

"Malfoy?" she tried hesitantly touching his shoulder lightly again.

"Don't touch me you –

"Filthy Mudblood?" she finished his sentence with supple sarcasm in her voice.

"Stupid bint." he finished less offensively than he intended. Why was she using that derogatory term for herself, the _effing_ bookworm? Yes, better. This provided a welcoming distraction and he was able to remove Dumbledore from his mind. There was no Amycus now, no Snape, no Greyback. He was moving backwards the staircase of the Astronomy tower, he had not mended the cabinet in the Room of Requirement, he was fast asleep in his dormitory in the dungeons. He was here in his shop serving clients, _yeah_.

His vision cleared again and he was able to see Granger observing him with great interest. _Bossy know-it-all_.

He cleared his throat forcibly and she seemed to get out of her trance immediately.

"Was that…are you having-

"I'm perfectly healthy despite your wishes. Forget this and leave."

"Malfoy, this is serious. It's been four years-

"Five years, two months and five days, I know, what's your point?"

She gasped and shook her head. "The Battle was four-

"Astronomy Tower." he defined unwillingly. "You should leave, I've lots to do. I am… grateful for the ingredients." not quite a thank you, but it would have to do.

Her eyes sparkled and she was quite bold to suggest assistance. "Can I help you with that?" A _sodding_ Gryffindor all the way.

"Forget that it happened, will you? I'll have the roots delivered in your bookstore as soon as the Apothecary stocks up. You can cancel the rest of the order with stupid Longbottom. How much for the ginger roots?"

"It's nothing, it's a gift." she explained.

"Fine, I'll have them replaced as soon as possible in return." _go the fuck away now_ , he screamed inside.

She nodded and was ready to say something more when he interrupted her.

"The door is on your left." and he disappeared inside again.

After a few minutes of silence, he heard the door click open and closed and he was able to breathe again. He didn't need anyone to remind him what he had done. Especially not her.

.

a/n: Thank you for reading and please review and let me know if I should continue or not, I would love to read your thoughts. As I said this is my first try on Harry Potter stories and feedback and constructive criticism are more than welcomed. If you notice any mistakes, please let me know so I can fix them.

Victoria


	2. Chapter 2

~ Go away ~

The war was over. He had survived and had left everything behind him. He didn't need anyone to remind him what he had done. Especially not her.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. In the first part of the chapter and a bit around the middle, almost every recognizable sentence formatted in italics, is taken by the actual book(s) and it does belong to JKR not me. So go ahead, read and enjoy!

.

 _Darkness._

 _Cold._

 _Fear._

 _The scent of grass and citrus in the air. A bitten green apple into his pocket._

 _Footsteps._

 _Up, up, up he went to the staircase, until he was at the top of the tower. The Dark Mark was pulsating in his left arm; the snake coiling around the skull as if it was alive. The same mark he had conjured moments ago in the sky to draw Dumbledore there._

 _He knew the spell. Avada Kedavra._

" _Expelliarmus!" he had shouted and Dumbledore's wand had flown up in the air and then had dropped away in the distance. Out of reach._

" _Killing is not nearly as easy as the innocent believe."_

 _His hand shook terribly. He had to act._

" _I can help you Draco. Come over to the right side…"_

 _There were no other options for him._

" _You are at my mercy." he spat._

" _No, Draco. It is my mercy, and not yours, that matters now."_

" _Severus…Please…"_

 _Snape. A green flash. Death._

 _The scene dissolved._

 _._

" _Look Draco, isn't it the Granger girl?"_

" _I…maybe..yeah…"_

" _Where did you get the sword? Where? What else did you take? Crucio!"_

 _Screams. Deafening screams. The body on the floor writhed and squirmed in agony and pain._

" _It isn't the real sword! It's a copy, just a copy!"_

" _CRUCIO!"_

 _._

Fucking hell!

Draco woke with a start. With trembling hands, he brushed away the cold sweat that had gather on his forehead and tried to control his breathing pattern.

 _Nightmares_. He had had them before; he was no fool to believe he'd get rid of them easily after so many years of repeat, but this time, tonight, he could swear that they had been a bit stronger. The voices were clearer in his dream, the colors more vivid, the scent was… The scent was Granger's.

 _Fucking, Bloody, irritating Granger._

He could still smell her citrus-induced aroma on the tip of his nose, _fuck_ , he could even taste it on his tongue; fresh, bitter and acidic. Since the day he had met her again, after all these years, the nightmares had been returning more often than not, now frequently featuring Malfoy Manor as well as the Astronomy Tower. The memory was carved into his mind crystal clear; her screams, her agony, her pain; it had all been so strong that he could physically feel it back then, and yet she had impossibly resisted breaking under his crazy aunt's curses.

 _He had never apologized for that either._

Draco got up leaning on his bed for support and when the blackness in his eyes subdued, he approached his dresser and got out the bottle of whiskey he stored there.

Alcohol. Since day one it had been the only treatment, the only way out of his memories, out of himself. He had despised his weakness at first; he had insisted that Malfoys were stronger than that, but eventually nothing else had the ability to supply him with a haven as alcohol did. Except maybe sex, but that lasted significantly lesser most of times and then he was back to where he had started.

The yellowish liquid ran down his throat supple and he sighed with relief. The burning was intense, but it was also a welcomed distraction and he relished the sensation as always. How could he make the nightmares go away? Would he ever get rid of them? Would he ever manage to forget what he had done?

" _Can I help you with that?"_

 _Fuck, fuck, fuck._

.

His routine continued for the next three weeks.

Everyday he got up, dressed and went to work, stayed there for good ten-hours brewing and serving customers and then returned home, got some whisky in and went to sleep – sometimes with Kate along, sometimes alone. Then came the nightmares, and while he was used to having them, Kate certainly wasn't. Some mornings she seemed to be softer towards him, as if she was sympathetic for his troubles. Others, she was nervous and fidgeting, as if she was afraid of him. And then there were mornings like this day.

" _Who the hell is Granger, Draco?"_

Draco had turned to face her surprised when she had continued: "You were calling her name in your sleep."

 _Fuck_. He had tensed immediately, while she had pressed on the matter. His instinct had been persistent and his hand was inches away from his wand under his pillow; itching to aim a good legilimens at her way to calculate how much damage was done there. He had managed to hold back thinking that he shouldn't do magic before muggles when he counted on the ministry for evaluation and a ticket out of the country.

 _But_. She had pressed on firmly and he had had frankly no other choice.

He had opted for wandless legilimency; after all he had become superb at this branch of magic that the wand would only offer that tiny bit more effectiveness and he didn't need it. It wasn't as if he would delve into Voldemort's mind after all or worse; Snape's. Kate was a muggle and this should be as easy as riding a broomstick, so he had gone for it. He had rushed into her mind eagerly; feeling powerful and blissfully important again. It had been so long since he had used magic against someone that his heart had been leaping against his ribcage with excitement at the feeling. He could almost hear it pounding wildly on his chest. He had then keenly pushed forward ignoring today's images and he had quickly found himself staring at himself fast asleep but obviously in pain. Draco in the memories had been dreaming; and not a pleasant dream by the looks of it. He had waited a few seconds and then there it was.

 _"Granger, they're after Muggles. Do you want to be showing off your knickers in midair? Keep that big bushy head down, Granger."_

" _Stand back. Line up against the back wall. Don't try anything or I'll kill you"_

" _Don't get your knickers in a twist, Granger."_

He had wondered then if Kate had seen or heard so much more while he slept beside her ignorant and yet isolated at nights. He searched more thoroughly; frantically trying to locate himself inside her memories. He sneered when he saw her on a date with another man, snickered when he saw her trying dresses for their date and smirked when he saw her coiling away from him once that he had been furious.

No other sound of Dumbledore, Voldemort, Potter or Granger was to be heard though and satisfied he ended the spell and with swift movements grabbed his wand and in almost zero time he had petrified her.

 _"Obliviate"_

The process started and he quickly extracted the unwanted memories and stored them into his crystal vials. It didn't take long. When he was finished, he observed her with a frown in his eyebrows. Yes she was pretty; not beautiful but that was irrelevant. It wasn't as if they went out in public together and he certainly didn't plan to marry her. She was talented in bed and that was it. But. Could he keep on seeing her after today? His solitude was so much more important than one or two quick shags per week and he instantly decided that their "meetings" wouldn't continue. He planted a few memories into her mind and after a bit of hesitation he added one of an argument too because he would really rather avoid it. When he was adamant that she would break up with him – if a break-up could be considered since they had no definite form of relationship - he stopped.

" _Finite_ ", he whispered hiding his wand and the _petrificus_ ended. She had at once started shouting accusations and then some more, but he had kept his dark altitude and eventually she had left, but her earlier words kept repeating inside his head.

 _"Who the hell is Granger, Draco? You were calling her name in your sleep."_

" _Can I help you with that?"_

He cursed her to Salazar and back, but to no avail. The witch was stubborn and his memories of her were apparently there to stay.

.

Draco met her again the next week completely out of the blue. He had a slight suspicion that fate or karma, call it whatever you want – _what a bitch_ -, was playing stupid games on his expense and he didn't like it one bit. _Fucking pathetic_.

"Malfoy", Granger stated and her voice sounded completely plain.

"Granger", he nodded without interrupting his perusal of the shelves.

"Had it not been for the fact that I'm certain that meeting me is killing you, I would ask if you are following me somehow."

"If you did ask I would be forced to reply that this notion is ridiculous"

"And I would say that unfortunately all signs point to that direction. Diagon Alley twice, my bookstore next and now a muggle supermarket..."

"You came to my store too, if my memory serves me well."

"Still, that was an onetime thing while yours-

"Granger, I'm not following you." He hushed her frenzy, sounding almost bored.

"Good. In which case...well...bye"

She made her move to pass by, but his hand was on her arm to stop her before he had a chance to think about it twice. Or thrice; as he usually did with everything.

She turned back again with her eyebrows furrowed and a huge questionnaire written clearly on her face. His hand dropped and she looked him straight into his eyes.

"I was just wondering when it would be convenient for you to deliver the roots"

"Oh." Her face straightened."You can send them by owl; really there's no need to come by in person."

 _Ouch_. His eyes fell to her teeth which were currently chewing he bottom lip. His jaw clenched.

"I didn't intend to come by." His voice sounded somewhat sour and he hurried to make it plain again. "That's not what I said."

She swallowed visibly. "Alright. Just owl them to the bookstore then. I'm certain your owl will find me there."

He nodded and turned to leave.

"Malfoy?" she stopped him this time.

"Yes?"

She seemed to hesitate before speaking and he noticed she was chewing her lip again.

"Do you live nearby?"

He arched his eyebrow. "Is there a point to that question? Why are you asking me that?"

"I.. I was just wondering if I should expect to see you more often around.. This is my usual supermarket, you know" she motioned around; still a bit nervous.

"I see." he nodded.

 _Fan-fucking-tastic. He'd better change a supermarket._

She still waited, probably expecting an answer or even a reaction to her observation, but he didn't give her any. He strolled down the hall leaving Granger gaping behind him at his obvious rudeness, fairly certain that he would be seeing her in his nightmares again that night.

.

a/n: Thanks to all of you who read/ followed/ favorited and reviewed! It means a lot, so thank you! As always, if you notice any glaring mistakes please let me know so I can fix it.. I still have no beta; I find it very difficult to choose, so if you have any suggestions please share :)

Please leave a comment and let me know your thoughts about this chapter as well!

Victoria


	3. Chapter 3

~ Go away ~

The war was over. He had survived and had left everything behind him. He didn't need anyone to remind him what he had done. Especially not her.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot, yet again. I hope you enjoy the update.

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His nightmares were indeed stronger the nights following their encounter in that muggle supermarket, and indeed featured the torture inflicted at his home very often, as expected.

Granger was the shining star in his dreams, of course; as much as she was the golden girl in the modern era of the magical world. This time though, he didn't have Kate to vent. He had considered contacting her; fairly certain that if he asked her, she would return back, but he just couldn't bring himself to communicate with that woman again. So, the dreams remained. No surprises there. He was however surprised to witness her visiting him in his store, just a few days after their meeting.

He set his jaw firmly before he acknowledged her presence. "Well if that isn't interesting. You come _once again_ to seek me out _,_ Granger? And here I thought you were accusing _me_ of stalking you."

"Hello to you too." she replied somewhat defensive.

"What do you want?"

"Polite as ever. I hope I'm not setting myself up for disappointment…" she started explaining.

"If you wanted politeness, you should have visited a Hufflepuff. Don't waste my time, Granger." his tone was borderline bored.

"I'm here to request your assistance in inventing a potion." she stated bluntly, urged by his challenging demeanor.

" _Excuse me?"_

"I said that I want your help to invent a potion."

"You want me _what_?" he asked incredulously.

"Why is this so outrageous?" Hermione countered. "You were second only to myself back at school. I do know that Snape was somewhat partial to your degrees, _but_. For Merlin's sake, you're brewing beautification every week, as if it is the easiest potion out there!"

"I don't doubt my brewing abilities, Granger, what I'm saying is - " he started before she cut him in.

"Plus, I know that you brew Wolfsbane Potion every full moon for your friend, Zabini."

"That's ridiculous, Granger! I'm not brewing Wolfsbane for Blaise, he doesn't _fucking_ need it!"

"Look, it's not like I'm gonna tell anyone. Nobody would believe that I asked _you_ to help me of all people. But I need the best out there and although I hate to admit it, you're the only one that qualifies for the task. As for Blaise, his secret is safe with me."

"He doesn't have a secret! Why do you insist that he's a werewolf?"

"Please Malfoy, give me some credit." she said sarcastically. "He buys wolfsbane from Neville for the last four years, every ten days preceding a full moon. I would say that this is as good as yelling it from a rooftop."

"Even if we assumed that he does, why would you think that I brew it for him?"

"You are the only possible candidate, really. Zabini is only friends with you nowadays, you were much better at potions than him at school and you know his secret. Fearing the consequences, he would entrust only the best one and obviously not himself. Even Remus got his from Snape, while at Hogwarts; not everyone knows how to brew it efficiently."

"I don't _fucking_ have to do anything to help you." he spat.

"This is really important to me though, Malfoy. I do hate to bring this up, but Harry and I have helped you twice in the past. Firstly, from Grabbe's fiendfyre in the Room of Requirement and after that to your trial at the Ministry."

Draco scoffed. "And you believe that you have struck a chord with that? That I actually have the decency to feel grateful and to think that I owe you something? You Gryffindors are fools; I have no such honorable dispositions."

Her lips twitched in a twisted smile. "I can't say that I didn't expect that. That is why I come with a proposal."

"Bring it on, Granger. I'm anxiously waiting your no-doubt interesting offer. Is it money? A manor in the suburbs, perhaps? A public vouch for me by Gryffindor's princess?" he mocked.

"You'd be surprised, Malfoy. It is a ticket out of the country." she noticed he was taken aback by the prize and she boldly pressed on. "The removal of your ban. _Your freedom_."

"What's the catch?" he asked immediately like the Slytherin he was.

"There's no catch. The moment we succeed in creating the potion, you are out of the country whenever you want. Kingsley can assure you on it, before we proceed if you want."

"And I suppose you want my answer now?"

"I would think that you'd jump to the offer immediately to be honest, but I suppose you can have one week to think about it."

He didn't say thanks, although what she was offering didn't really need second thoughts. His ban would of course expire in just over two years, but why wasting all that precious time when he could do otherwise? He needed to leave the country, in order to be able to breathe again. Surely, working with Granger wasn't ideal, but at least she wasn't Weasley and frankly the alternative was even worse.

She retrieved a small note from her pocket, that was written in a neat handwriting – obviously hers- and extended her hand to him. "This is my home address; you can contact me immediately once you've taken your decision. I really hope you'll agree."

"How do you know that Blaise doesn't buy the wolfsbane for me? That it is the other way around?" he suddenly asked.

She shook her shoulders indifferently. "You have been seen during the full moon; Blaise hasn't."

" _The brightest witch of her age_." he quoted sarcastically. "Fine, one week. I will let you know."

"Thank you." she mumbled and spun on her heels retreating.

His stare followed her all the way out, until she quietly closed the door of his store behind her.

.

The second night after her proposal, he apparated himself to the address she had given him, in Muggle London. The neighborhood seemed very quiet, in contrast to his own, and her home was apparently a single-storey building. He approached her door hesitantly; thinking about what he had decided to tell her. She answered it in the fourth ring and her expression indicated that she was annoyed by the midnight visit and slightly worried about it too. All that changed as soon as she recognized him standing at her doorstep.

"Couldn't it have waited until tomorrow? You are within the deadline I gave you anyway."

"You also said to contact you immediately, Granger. So here I am." he made to look behind her, as if to subtly tell her to invite him in, but the door which was opened just a fraction and her small figure, hid effectively the inside.

"Can you wait a bit? I'm in my nightgown."

"I would prefer we finished this; plus, I don't have any issues with that attire."

She rolled her eyes and mumbled a spell - apparently transfiguring her outfit - before she opened her door a bit more and motioned to him to enter.

He did and he grabbed the opportunity to study the room for a minute. As expected, a huge bookstore dominated the space of her living room and everything else seemed warm, inviting and cozy. He rolled his eyes at how neat and organized her things were placed around the room. "I have some questions." he started plainly.

Hermione raised her eyebrows. "You mean you don't have an answer?" she asked with curiosity.

"I don't really think you ever expected an answer, did you? It was only a matter of _when_ and not _if_ I agreed."

She didn't refute him. "What do you want to know then?"

"How much time am I to devote in that task? In just over two years my ban is lifted anyway; the time should be shorter than that, if the offer aims to be appealing to me."

"A year. We'll give it a year and if we succeed within that, you're free. If we don't... You are in waiting again, I guess."

It seemed fair enough. "What kind of potion is this?"

She hesitated a bit before she replied. "A memory potion. I want a potion that can reverse the effects of the obliviation spell."

"Sounds like a challenge. Don't we have counter spells for that?"

"They..."she cleaned her throat, which was suddenly dry."They don't always work."

He nodded. "Why do you need that potion so much?" he asked curiously.

Her cheeks flushed and she moved awkwardly from one foot to another. "It's for my parents." she simply said.

 _Of course._ He had read it in the headlines, as soon as the war had ended. Granger had obliviated her parents during the war, in order to keep them safe, and since then she was devoted to altering this situation. He wondered then how much mental strength it required to willingly turn your family to strangers and subconsciously tipped his hat to Granger. _How very Gryffindor-y indeed._

"I want guarantees." he continued.

"Understandable, I can set up a special magical contract for that. We can go over it together before we sign it, if you want. Kingsley will sign it as well, if I ask him."

That was more than he had actually expected. "Ok, Granger." He sighed. "Let's have it your way then. When do we start?"

He could very much discern the flicker of hope that showed up in her face and inwardly despised her for still being able to hope after everything. "Tomorrow?" She asked sounding almost excited. "You could come over to my bookstore around 11am and we'll take it from there." When he didn't answer she hurried to suggest "Or I can come over at your shop?"

"No, I will come. Tomorrow then it is, Granger."

He turned to leave, but her voice stopped him on his tracks. "Malfoy?"

He spun around to face her again, silently acknowledging that he should had probably refused the offer ultimately. He had seen her a handful of times the past few weeks, and already his nightmares had escalated since then. He didn't want to think what he had signed up for, now that he was to meet her on a regular basis for an entire year. He already resented that aspect of their deal.

"Thank you... For agreeing to help me." she said following him, as he made his way to her door.

 _No, no, no._ This wasn't him doing her a favor. She had to understand this it meant nothing and not try to read behind the lines during the implementation of their task. "Let me be clear about it, Granger. I'm not in any way doing this for you; I'm in it for purely selfish reasons as you understand and you'll do well to remember that as long as this... alliance will last."

Hermione nodded; her cheeks turning crimson.

He stayed silent for a bit longer, just to emphasize what he had said. "Tomorrow, Granger." he added and walked out of her home, apparating back to his place with a small faint pop.

.

That night was awful. The nightmares had nothing to do with the Astronomy Tower or the Battle. He had dreamed that Voldemort had forced him to torture and obliviate his own parents and then had hunted them down and killed them both. Possibly, the future _her_ parents would have had, had the Dark Lord not been defeated by Potter.

How could she stand that? Knowing that her parents didn't know her at all?

But _maybe_ she didn't stand it, after all. _Maybe_ that was the reason she had isolated herself in a plain bookstore instead of reaping the fruits of her efforts in a highly-paid and highly-acclaimed job at the Ministry. _Maybe,_ that was also why he had the intriguing impression that she was also separated from the other two members of the Golden Trio, _if_ he wasn't very much mistaken.

Draco smiled unintentionally; maybe collaborating with Granger, could at least provide a distraction from his own misery. Seeing her desperate and struggling to cope, may proved to be beneficial to his mood. He rejoiced a bit at that thought, but then again he would have to get used to the frequency of the nightmares, at least for a while. Her words, from when she had first visited him to his store a few weeks ago, came into his mind again, even though he tried to prevent them with all his might.

 _Can I help you with that?_

He swore under his breath. He prayed to Salazar and back that he would go through all this unscathed, until he was free to start afresh somewhere new.

.

a/n: I apologize for the slight delay in updates! The story is starting to unwind a little bit as we go and I hope you like it! If you enjoyed reading, please consider leaving a comment in reviews; it really makes me happy.

Are you excited to see Draco working closely with Hermione? Are you curious about Hermione's occupation and current state? Your thoughts on Blaise and the wolfsbane potion?

Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

~ Go away ~

The war was over. He had survived and had left everything behind him. He didn't need anyone to remind him what he had done. Especially not her.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot, yet again.

 **a/n: Apologies for the looong hiatus. I hope you're still around and that you'll enjoy reading this chapter.**

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The first meeting of their newly established deal, started off as a complete disaster. Draco entered her bookshop at 11 am sharp, as expected.

However what wasn't expected was his angry posture. He came barging in and as soon as he reached her desk he slammed his fist on it. _Hard_.

"This.." he started motioning around him "Can't work."

She visibly took a deep breath "Ok.. Why not? What is wrong?"

"Aside from me collaborating with you, which in itself is ridiculous, I have a business to run and you can't expect me to ditch my clients and come and go as you please! _Absolutely not_." he started, voice raising. "I have plans-"

"Hold it, Malfoy." she cut him off.

"-and you can't demand things from me without asking me -"

"Malfoy!" Her tone was now also somewhat raised, but he ignored her nonetheless.

"-well in advance! I have a fucking schedule -"

"Draco!" She finally called out.

The use of his given name effectively managed to shut him up. She had never called him as such, as he hadn't had her either.

"Give it a rest, Malfoy." She said resorting to last names again. "I was going to tell you the same thing. I have a business to run as well, which I frankly do alone so far. Of course we can't meet on working days and hours. I guess yesterday I was just eager to begin with it, that it completely slipped my mind."

He shifted his stare around her shop. This made his outburst seem redundant and he hated her a bit more for that. _Bitch_.

"I propose we do some preparation, since we are here and reschedule for tonight around 9pm, if you agree. I can go over any progress I have had to give you an idea of what I've been onto and we'll see where this gets us."

"Contract first." Draco said stubbornly.

She rolled her eyes. "Of course. I got it here; it's not yet signed, because you might want to propose any amendments, but I guess we can sign it right away and I'll pass it on to Kingsley before our next meeting."

He sneered at the mention of Shacklebolt; she seemed to have a good leverage with the Minister.

He then set on to carefully study her terms before he signed to the place indicated, satisfied with the contract. She also told him to use a suitable spell, so as to magically bond the paper to his identity. Granger also signed to her respective box and performed the complex incantation. She then picked up the contract, carefully placed it in a transparent folder and stored it in her top drawer.

"I will give you a copy after it is finalized. Are you ok with the time I suggested earlier?" she hesitantly asked him.

"For now."

"That will do."

.

"Powdered unicorn horn, bezoar, drops of Lethe River Water and most essentially; Jobberknoll feathers." Granger listed at their first meeting the same afternoon.

"You sound so sure about that, huh Granger? But I guess this hasn't worked so far, otherwise I wouldn't be here now."

Her cheeks flushed instantly. " _Charming_. Of course it hasn't worked; otherwise I wouldn't endure your presence for whatever reason."

"You still don't have to." he insisted "I'm still questioning the fact that I was your best choice for this ordeal." he turned to face her as if he would be able to decipher her interior motives.

 _Interesting_. Granger avoided eye contact.

"You should leave it rest. You have a good background and a clear motive to comply with the task at hand."

"Others though, have a _great_ background and a clear _will_ to do anything for you." he countered.

She blinked twice. "Can you pass me the ladle?"

In other words drop the subject, _right_. He passed her the ladle thinking about the possible and plausible scenarios for his selection. The only one though that came to mind was again, that some of her friends had for some reason abandoned her. Or the other way around. He wondered why and tossed the idea to ask her in his mind, but he let it be. For now. He would have many more opportunities to interrogate Granger in the forthcoming months.

The noise of a small explosion in her cauldron right next to where he stood startled him and he clumsily cut his left forefinger, while trying to crush the bezoar. _Fuck_ , _fuck, fuck._

" _Fuck it_!" he tossed the knife aside and grabbed a nearby towel. Blood flowed freely out of the wound; crimson blotches staining the white cloth.

Granger turned and her expression quickly went from surprised to shocked, but she seemed to gather her wits quickly. "Can I help you with that?"

 _Not that sodding question again._

 _"Fuck you,_ Granger _."_

But this time, she didn't wait for any confirmation. She simply ignored his comment and casually flicked her wand. "Here. All healed."

For a few seconds he stared at his hand dumbfounded. He felt the familiar rush of magic in his veins and his finger was instantly as good as new. He remembered then the first time she had offered him her help, when he had had the misfortune to through a fit in her presence. He secretly wished that his mental issues could be resolved with a flick of her wand too.

 _But alas._

.

The first week had gone by in the blink of an eye, marking no progress at all.

"You are doing it wrong. I said stir thrice clockwise, one time anti-clockwise, leave it to rest and then one anti-clockwise and two clockwise. What the hell! Are you not paying attention?" he accused.

She seemed confused and tired at the same time. He, of course, had noticed the black circles adorning her eyes and her slightly paler complexion, but he had brushed it off, because he _really_ didn't care. However _he did_ care to complete the test-potion as he had instructed; he didn't need to dedicate unnecessary effort and time due to implementation errors.

"I..." she stuttered. "I...will… We should stop for now, I will repeat it early in the morning on my own, I think I need some time off."

His nostrils flared. "I don't come here for nothing, Granger. I have a _fucking_ deadline, a deadline _you_ set and I intent to fulfill my deed as soon as possible. If we skip weeks in the process because you just can't concentrate your mind to the task, then let's leave it beforehand." he said scathingly.

"We absolutely don't skip weeks because of my luck of concentration!" she countered "I just need a day off, that's all. There's really no need to act as a brat all the time, Malfoy."

"Sick of me already?" he smirked "Too bad that you are also magically bonded to our contract, is it not?"

"You wish. To be honest I don't mind your _peculiar_ attitude at all. You remind me of some children I used to know; all spoilt and bad-mannered, but in the end all they wanted was attention. From their parents. I wonder-" she started supposedly innocently.

" _Don't_." he said in a quiet alarming tone; just above a whisper. "Don't you fucking dare go there, Granger." If she dared utter another insinuation about his parents, he swore to Salazar that she would dearly regret it.

She appeared to be seriously contemplating it; to try and annoy him in return as he so frequently did, and she had found one of his weaknesses from the very beginning. _Freaking hell._

"Let make another deal, Granger… You don't talk about my parents, I don't talk about yours. How does it sound?" he said through bared teeth.

"I suppose it sounds fair." she said after a few moments and extended her hand. A confirmation handshake; that was what she offered.

He hesitated then. He really didn't want to touch Granger. And not because of the muggleborn issue; that was frankly long left behind. He feared that touching her might somehow infect him, that the feel of her hand against his own might shift the dynamics of their contact. He despised his fear and hesitation, however he couldn't afford to alter anything.

Granger's hand was still raised there, waiting for his own and when he looked up her eyes bore into his as if challenging him to decline. Almost urging him to decline.

He refused to back down. His own hand reached up and firmly met hers, all the while keeping eye-contact. A silent challenge. A common understanding. A secret dare.

The handshake was completed and another mutual deal had just been made.

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a/n: First of all I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I know it's fairly shorter than the previous installments, but this is where the scene needed to end. I also consider this as a warm-up chapter. I have been absent for almost a year, for which I apologize, and I needed to connect again with the story and the characters.

To this end, I assure you that I fully intend to complete all my fanfiction stories, even if it takes some time from me and some patience from your side. So, stick with me and let me know your thoughts. Is anyone still here reading this?

Victoria


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